Even though this weekend is predicted to be the best weekend of the year here in Seattle, the Pacific Northwest is ever changing and it shouldn’t be long until things change.
Rainy days are some of my absolute favorite days to photograph. Sure it would be a lot easier to shoot through fog to create that soft mysterious air to your images, but fog is unpredictable and typically rather temporary lasting only for an hour or so in the early morning. However rain in the Pacific Northwest is both predictable and persistent.
People are often surprised that I don’t run outside with my camera on a beautiful blue sky day. The clouds on an overcast day act like a huge softbox to soften the light, reduce contrast, and open up the shadows to details that would be completely lost on a bright sunny day. Falling rain diffuses and evens out the light even more. Some of my favorite images have been captured on gray rainy days.
You’ll need to check your lens frequently for spots but with a little care you can use the rain to your advantage. Use a tripod, polarizer, small aperture and long shutter speed to keep from recording individual falling drops of rain and maximize atmospheric softening. Additionally, the polarizer removes the shine from foliage for the richest colors possible. It’s rare that I don’t have a polarizer on the front of my lens. With standing water in your frame the falling rain will ripple the surface. The long shutter speed will blur movement the same way a waterfall can be rendered as a soft ethereal white drape over rocks.
Fleming College and the Royal Ontario Museum are teaming up with photographer/educator Neil Ever Osborne to offer a degree program in Environmental Visual Communications. This program is designed as a blend of environmental science skills and the ability to effectively communicate to a variety of audiences.
If you are passionate about our planet and want to develop your career in getting this message out visually and effectively, then explore this unique program.
Conservation photography has grown into a effective means of education and change. The work that is being done now to illuminate the concerns of our planet is being done by committed people that grew this idea out of the ground. Organizations like iLCP support this important work.
Watch this video to learn where these ideas come from and the people that are teaching us about the work we all share as stewards of the Earth.
Photography can change your life. If you have the same belief, then now is the time to put it into action. Youth In Focus is having their annual fund-raising auction on Saturday, April 14th.
I have donated a print to help raise some money and support this great organization. There is a long list of other noteworthy photographers and supporters that are also contributing to the event. Students work will surprise you and will also be available at the auction. Visit Youth In Focus and sign up for a great evening of photography and community.
>>CLICK HERE to Register and learn more about how Youth In Focus is providing cameras and instructors to empower urban youth ages 13-19 that are experiencing challenges in their lives.
After another successful Art of Composition seminar in Portland, Oregon, Art led a group of workshop participants out to the blustery Oregon coast—Cannon Beach, to be exact.
Art is now off to Australia and South Africa for five weeks of field workshops, presentations, and seminars. >>Australia Info >>Africa Info
(http://denisglennon.com/art-wolfe-in-australia-2012/ & http://www.c4images-safaris.co.za/index.php?page=artwolfe2012), as well as some much anticipated shooting for his new Seattle gallery! Look here for new photos soon.
